TDCB: The Coaching Career of David Williams

[Recoil]

Prelude

David Williams was born into a rural north Georgia town in 1963 where he lived from birth to graduation. He was quite atheletic although never the "star". Growing up, he played baseball, football, soccer, and basketball. When David hit junior high, he started to sway toward basketball as his main priority. Through high school, he earned all-conference honors in his junior and senior years eventually scoring a scholarship at Appalachian St. David started only in his sophomore year and graduated with Southern All-Conference honors his senior year.

His coaching career first began at Appalachian St., his alma mater, then as an assistant at Western Kentucky, Georgia Southern, and then finally at the University of Kentucky. He worked relentlessly at all his jobs. David was always considered one of the top recruiters. His down to earth, fiery attitude seemed to click with recruits. At age 39, with all the work he'd put in at his assistant positions, he wondered when his time would come to finally attain a head coaching job. In April, after the 2001-2002 season at UK, his phone rang. "Hello, is this David Williams? This is the Athletics Director at Fairleigh Dickinson University."

Teaneck, New Jersey. This is where it all begins. Fairleigh Dickinson University. This place was a complete 180 from what David was accustomed to. When he got off the place at Newark Libery International Airport, he wondered what he had gotten himself into. When he stepped out of the airport and caught a cab looking at the city, he thought to himself "God, what a shithole. I hope the campus is nicer than this." Luckily, it looked like heaven compared to inner city Newark. "Maybe this won't be as bad as I thought."

[Recoil]

TEANECK, Nj. (AP, April 24, 2002) -- Fairleigh Dickinson University named David Williams it's new men's basketball coach today.

Coming off a 4-25 season at FDU, Coach Tom Green, 52, the all-time wins leader at the university has decided to step down due to health issues. Despite leading the program to 338 wins in his tenure, he only led the Knights to 3 NCAA Tournament appearances. Just 1 in the last 10 years. Albeit winning the big game was never one of Green's forte, Williams has big shoes to fill at FDU. Green was the Northeast Conference all-time wins leader, a two-time Northeast Conference and New Jersey Sports Writers Division I Coach of the Year and three-time New Jersey Coaches Association Coach of the Year.

[korme]

Interesting. How long did you sim prior to 2002?

[korme]

Oh, gotcha. Cool.

[Recoil]

Originally Posted by Shorty3281

Interesting. How long did you sim prior to 2002?

No simming. Just randomly picked a school, looked up some info on Fairleigh and that was it.

[Recoil]

2002-2003 Fair Dickinson Knights
COACH: David Williams (1st year; age 39)

Knight Facts
CONFERENCE: NEC
LOCATION: Teaneck, NJ
PRESTIGE: Very Low (20)
SCOUTING SERVICE: Hoops Galore (*)
AVAILABLE SCHOLARSHIPS: 4

Starting Lineup
PG Bobby Baxter, 6'1, Sr., Bronx, NY (Our Saviour New American HS)
C C A A C D C C D C A D F - 1.95

SG Dennis Lockwood, 5'10, Fr., Narraganett, RI (Narraganett HS)
B D A C C F D C C F C F B - 2.31

SF Terrell Lackey, 6'2, Jr., Southwick, MA (Southwick HS)
B C D D D F D B C A C C F - 2.16

PF Adam Guyton, 6'6, Sr., Baltimore, MD (Parkville HS)
C C D D B C B F B A D B C - 2.11

C Jim Bills, 7'0, Jr., Rochester, NY (Our Lady of Mercy HS)
C A D C F C B D B C C D D - 2.42

Key Reserves
PF Al Gordon, 6'7, Jr., Salamanca, NY (Salamanca HS)
A F F D D C D B B F B F F - 2.35

SF Mark Tillman, 6'8, Sr., Tuxedo Park, NY (Baker HS)
C B C C F C D C C D C F F - 3.58

SG Blake Stapleton, 6'2, So., Belmont, NY (Genesse Central HS)
C C D F D D F B F D C C F - 2.84

C Kenny Watkins, 6'11, Sr., Tannersville, NY (Hunter-Tannersville HS)
C A F F B C B F D F B D D - 4.00

NEXT: Preview of 2002-2003 Season

[Recoil]

Preview of 2002-2003 Fair Dickinson Season

OVERALL TALENT: Average
FRESHMAN CLASS: Average
PROGRAM EXPECTATIONS: Avoid Embarassment
CHALLENGE LEVEL: Very Difficult

It looks like all of our starters are complete morons with no player getting over the 2.5 mark. This needs to be changed. I hope to only recruit players with 3.00+ GPAs, but it might be difficult at a small school like Fair Dickinson. Our 1 star scouting service Hoops Galore is a kick in the balls. With 4 seniors graduating this year, we really need accurate info on recruits and they're definitely not going to give that to us. It might even be a few years before we can even afford to upgrade. Our out of conference schedule is average in strength. The biggest games with us playing West Virginia at home and taking on Alabama and Penn St. on the road.

We don't really have a deep bench, so we're going to have to depend on our starters heavily. With the low GPAs, we could see a few academic suspensions throughout the year which would put a dent in our success.

PG Bobby Baxter
Baxter will man the point. Very quick and athletic. He can shoot the lights out from behind the arc. His passing ability is also very good. Defense is rather average though and sometimes he does lose concentration while covering his man. Bobby is more worried about his own numbers rather than winning which is a concern of mine. His in your face attitude seems to be popular with the fans at Fair Dickinson.

SG Dennis Lockwood
Dennis will be playing out of position as his height(5'10) indicates. He's naturally a PG and should be contender to take the spot next year. He can just flat out shoot from anywhere on the court. He will pick your pocket too as he's a very good stealer. Defense is average. His potential is high and that will be a big advantage as he's just just a freshman and has time to improve his game.

SF Terrell Lackey
I like Lackey based on the fact that he's just a good overall player. His rebounding will need to be improved next offseason as his ability is below average for his position. Terrell has a great jumpshot although he's not much of a 3 point threat. His defense is one of his better attributes. He will bump and grind down low as he his pretty strong for his 176lb frame. He does need to work on his conditioning as he tends to be injury prone.

PF Adam Guyton
Alright, I love Guyton. Without a doubt the best player on the team. Probably the go-to guy in close situations at the end of the game. Also a senior and his leadership is irreplaceable to this team. Adam is an above average shooter and will occasionally hit a 3. Rebounding skills are great both offensively and defensively. His post defense is awesome and opponents will have trouble scoring on him.

C Jim Bills
Bills is a rather average, all-around player. His 7'0 frame will intimidate some smaller opponents. His inside scoring ability is definitely his best attribute. Jim's rebounding will be a liability at the center position as he's just a pretty average rebounder on both sides of the ball. Hopefully he can make up for it defensively as he shines in that area.

[Recoil]

2002-2003 NEC PREVIEW
1. Long Island
2. Mount St. Marys
3. Quinnipiac
4. Fair Dickinson
5. Sacred Heart
6. Robert Morris
7. Monmouth
8. St. Francis (NY)
9. MD Baltimore Co.
10. St. Francis (PA)
11. Central Conn.
12. Wagner

FAIR DICKINSON NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
West Virginia
@Alabama
St. Peters
@Tennessee St.
@Penn State
San Diego
Chicago St.
Loyola Chicago
@Drake


PRESEASON IP TOP 25 POLL
Rank School Record Points Previous
1. Arizona 0-0 1,271 0
2. Duke 0-0 1,183 0
3. Kentucky 0-0 1,116 0
4. UCLA 0-0 1,031 0
5. Kansas 0-0 952 0
6. Maryland 0-0 902 0
7. Florida 0-0 853 0
8. Illinois 0-0 785 0
9. North Carolina 0-0 753 0
10. Michigan State 0-0 704 0
11. Stanford 0-0 654 0
12. Mississippi 0-0 622 0
13. Iowa State 0-0 592 0
14. Virginia 0-0 547 0
15. USC 0-0 499 0
16. Texas 0-0 466 0
17. Texas Tech 0-0 437 0
18. Boston College 0-0 363 0
19. Connecticut 0-0 313 0
20. Indiana 0-0 254 0
21. Tennessee 0-0 211 0
22. Wake Forest 0-0 169 0
23. Wisconsin 0-0 140 0
24. Mississippi St. 0-0 126 0
25. Cincinnati 0-0 111 0

Others Receiving Votes: Iowa 104, Missouri 97, Georgia Tech 83, Arkansas 69, Ohio State 55, Michigan 41, Alabama 27, California 14, Syracuse 10, Georgetown 8, Georgia 6, Oklahoma 4, Seton Hall 4, Notre Dame 3, Temple 3, Clemson 2, Purdue 2, Providence 1, Vanderbilt 1, Villanova 1, Oklahoma State 1.

[Recoil]

NOVEMBER 2002 REVIEW
11/21/2002 West Virginia 3-1 59-91 L
11/23/2002 @Alabama 4-0 56-83 L
11/27/2002 St. Peters 2-2 68-60 W
11/30/2002 @Tennessee St. 1-2 70-68 W

Our first game against West Virginia was atrocious. 14 turnovers and we couldn't rebound a damn thing. Not the way I wanted to start my coaching career. 2 days later it didn't get any better as we travelled down to Alabama to face the Tide. We were greeted with a 27 point spanking. We did keep the first half score to 41-35 before we had a second half breakdown. Fortuantely, things got better when we came back home to face St. Peter's. We started off fast and never looked back. It was nice to get my first win on our home court not to mention get the monkey off my back. We traveled to Tennessee St. where we were got off to a slow start down 10 points, we managed to cut their lead to 39-36 at the half. We outscored and outplayed them in the second half to beat them 70-68.

Looking ahead to December, we start conference play which will be critical. We also have non-conference games against Penn St., San Diego, and Central Conn. As a team we've shot 46.2% from the field allowing 53% FG shooting. We have to work on our defense. Our rebounding, while improved during the past 2 games, has to get better. Our 46.7% 3-point shooting is giving opponents headaches. Teams have really been hard on Guyton limiting his offensive stats. We have 3 yes 3 starters in academic trouble. We lose just 1 starter and our success rate will experience a noticable drop. I can't imagine losing 3. Dennis Lockwood has surprisen me with his great play averaging 16.5 PPG. Recruiting is coming along. I'm hoping by the end of December, to have 1 or 2 committments atleast. Although with only $2,818 per week to spend on recruits, it'll be tough.

LEADIN' THE WAY
Points: Dennis Lockwood (16.5 PPG)
Rebounds: Jim Bills (7.5 RPG)
Assists: Bobby Baxter (7.8 APG)
Steals: Dennis Lockwood (2.5 SPG)
FG Shooting: Dennis Lockwood (61.5%)

AWARDS
Week 3, NEC Freshmen Of the Week - Dennis Lockwood (20.0 PPG, 2.5 APG, 4.5 RPG, 2.5 SPG, 82.4 FG%)

WEEK 4 - IP Top 25 Poll
Rank School Record Points Previous
1. Arizona 7-0 3,089 1
2. UCLA 7-0 2,858 2
3. Boston College 7-0 2,687 3
4. Kentucky 6-1 2,369 4
5. Iowa State 6-1 2,101 6
6. Florida 5-1 1,898 10
7. Mississippi 5-1 1,789 12
8. Stanford 5-1 1,652 7
9. Texas Tech 5-1 1,580 11
10. Maryland 5-2 1,475 5
11. Texas 4-0 1,318 14
12. Duke 4-1 1,242 19
13. Connecticut 4-0 1,181 22
14. Virginia 4-0 1,087 20
15. Georgia 4-0 993 27
16. Cincinnati 4-0 934 16
17. Ohio State 4-0 872 13
18. Alabama 4-0 726 24
19. Kansas 4-2 639 9
20. Tennessee 4-0 521 25
21. Wisconsin 4-0 430 18
22. Providence 4-0 339 35
23. Michigan State 4-2 280 8
24. Vanderbilt 4-0 251 34
25. Baylor 4-0 217 41

Others Receiving Votes: Louisville 199, Utah 182, Tulane 154, North Carolina 128, Georgetown 102, Mississippi St. 77, Oklahoma 51, Long Island 25, California 10, Wake Forest 5, USC 5, Indiana 4, Utah State 4, Syracuse 3, Fullerton State 3, Seton Hall 2, Villanova 2, Michigan 1, Texas A&M 1, MD Baltimore Co. 1, Notre Dame 1.

[Recoil]

DECEMBER 2002 REVIEW
12/5/2002 @Penn State 2-10 87-73 W
12/8/2002 San Diego 6-5 62-77 L
12/12/2002 St. Francis (PA) 8-4 67-81 L
12/14/2002 @Long Island 8-4 69-71 L
12/19/2002 Wagner 10-2 66-68 L
12/21/2002 MD Baltimore Co. 4-9 69-59 W
12/26/2002 Central Conn. 6-7 88-85 W
12/28/2002 @Wagner 10-2 58-94 L
OVERALL: 5-7 (2-4)

Well, it's safe to say that turnovers have killed us in every game we've lost because we averaged around 15+ TOs per game in our loses. We lost Terrell Lackey in the home game against Wagner for 2 months with patella tendinitis. Big loss for us. We then lost backup turned starter Al Gordon in the spanking at Wagner. I hate Wagner. We still haven't gotten any commitments although we're closing in on 4 hopefully. (1) 5-star, (2) 4-star, and (1) 3-star. It'd be huge if we got all of them.

LEADIN' THE WAY
Points: Dennis Lockwood (16.8 PPG)
Rebounds: Jim Bills (8.0 RPG)
Assists: Bobby Baxter (6.9 APG)
Steals: Dennis Lockwood (1.6 SPG)
FG Shooting: Jim Bills (56.5%)

NEC STANDINGS
Team Conf. Wins Conf. Losses Pct. Total Wins Total Losses Pct. PF PA
Mount St. Marys 5 1 .833 9 3 .750 936 777
Wagner 4 1 .800 10 2 .833 989 797
St. Francis (NY) 3 1 .750 6 6 .500 921 904
Long Island 3 2 .600 8 4 .667 927 846
St. Francis (PA) 2 2 .500 8 4 .667 939 882
Central Conn. 3 3 .500 6 7 .462 980 1012
Sacred Heart 2 2 .500 6 6 .500 921 952
Monmouth 2 2 .500 5 7 .417 836 931
Robert Morris 2 3 .400 7 5 .583 925 905
Fair Dickinson 2 4 .333 5 7 .417 819 910
Quinnipiac 1 3 .250 6 7 .462 1033 1025
MD Baltimore Co. 0 5 .000 4 9 .308 974 1079

AWARDS
Week 6, NEC Freshmen Of the Week - Dennis Lockwood (17.0 PPG, 3.0 APG, 5.0 RPG, 0.5 SPG, 45.8 FG%)
Week 7, NEC Freshmen Of the Week - Dennis Lockwood (20.0 PPG, 2.0 APG, 3.5 RPG, 1.5 SPG, 66.7 FG%

WEEK 8 - IP Top 25 Poll
Rank School Record Points Previous
1. Florida 13-1 2,023 2
2. Arizona 14-1 1,884 1
3. Virginia 11-0 1,794 5
4. Tennessee 12-0 1,665 4
5. Alabama 12-0 1,538 6
6. Kentucky 13-2 1,463 9
7. Connecticut 11-0 1,387 7
8. Stanford 13-1 1,277 10
9. UCLA 12-2 1,199 3
10. Vanderbilt 12-0 1,125 12
11. Kansas 12-2 1,053 15
12. Maryland 12-2 1,005 17
13. Michigan State 12-2 949 20
14. Oklahoma 11-1 873 22
15. Wake Forest 10-1 802 19
16. Cincinnati 11-2 754 8
17. Georgetown 11-1 707 16
18. North Carolina 10-2 586 27
19. Texas Tech 12-2 516 24
20. Wisconsin 12-1 422 26
21. Iowa 11-2 351 25
22. Iowa State 13-2 280 11
23. Texas 10-2 233 29
24. Seton Hall 10-1 209 23
25. Georgia 10-3 185 13

Others Receiving Votes: USC 172, Mississippi St. 160, Michigan 136, Illinois 113, Boston College 90, Indiana 68, Syracuse 45, Mississippi 22, Duke 10, Ohio State 6, Texas A&M 2, Notre Dame 2, Arkansas 1, Providence 1, Arizona State 1, Louisville 1, Baylor 1, Clemson 1, New Mexico 1, UAB 1, Temple 1.

[Recoil]

JANUARY 2003 REVIEW
1/2/2003 Chicago St. 10-9 75-58 W
1/4/2003 @MD Baltimore Co. 7-13 71-79 L
1/9/2003 Monmouth 10-10 76-62 W
1/10/2003 Sacred Heart 9-11 71-70 W
1/18/2003 @St. Francis (PA) 12-9 75-55 W
1/23/2003 @Robert Morris 10-10 82-73 W
1/25/2003 @Sacred Heart 9-11 69-67 W
1/29/2003 Loyola Chicago 9-12 65-82 L
1/31/2003 @Drake 7-14 71-82 L
OVERALL: 11-10 (7-5)

As you can see below, we've added to the list of inactive players. The injuries are getting ridiculous. Now 2 starters and a key reserve. On the bright side, we had a 6-3 month of January and we're now 4th in the NEC. I'm not sure how long it'll last though with our leading scorer now going down with broken ribs.

Recruiting is finally wrapped up and we've brought in the best class Fair Dickinson has ever seen. I'm very optimistic about the future with these kids coming in.

C Shawn King, 6'10, Medford, OR (Pueblo Colorado JC) - ***** (#25 Overall) - 1.67
SF Scott Ramage, 6'8, Brooklyn, NY (Franklin K. Lane HS) - **** (#101 Overall) - 3.36
PG Nathan Willias, 6'0, Leland, MS (Leland HS) - **** (#64 Overall) - 2.21
PF Shahar Autry, 6'8, Miramar, FL (Miramar HS) - **** (#120 Overall) - 1.60

We take what we can get and we had to get some academic troubled recruits. Nobody would touch King despite his #25 ranking. We called him up late in recruiting, came to visit, and that was that. Scott is the best story from this year's class. Being fron Brooklyn, he knows Bobby Baxter personally as Scott's big brother was Bobby's best friend growing up. I'm pretty familiar with the south and have some contacts in the region and he told me about Nathan. Went and so a game of his and was instantly a fan. Excellent ball handling ability. He averaged 13.6 APG his senior year of high school. Did I mention his 31.0 PPG average? Amazing. Schools overlooked him because of his low GPA and SAT score. Shahar is another story. He's been involved in some out of court trouble. Obviously it scared off some potential colleges. His potential is excellent. I see him as a personal project and I hope to instill in him some discipline he didn't get growing up with a single mother.

SHIT, THAT HURTS
Dennis Lockwood - 1 Month (Broken Ribs)
Al Gordon - 1 Month (Bulging Disc)
Terrell Lackey - 3-4 weeks (Patella Tendinitis)

LEADIN' THE WAY
Points: Dennis Lockwood (15.9 PPG)
Rebounds: Jim Bills (8.2 RPG)
Assists: Bobby Baxter (6.3 APG)
Steals: Dennis Lockwood (1.5 SPG)
FG Shooting: Adam Guyton (56.9%)

NEC STANDINGS
Team Conf. Wins Conf. Losses Pct. Total Wins Total Losses Pct. PF PA
Mount St. Marys 9 3 .750 14 6 .700 1504 1292
Long Island 7 4 .636 12 7 .632 1455 1348
Central Conn. 7 5 .583 11 9 .550 1557 1554
Fair Dickinson 7 5 .583 11 10 .524 1474 1538
Monmouth 6 5 .545 10 10 .500 1498 1534
St. Francis (NY) 6 5 .545 9 11 .450 1556 1598
St. Francis (PA) 6 6 .500 12 9 .571 1563 1568
Wagner 5 6 .455 11 8 .579 1487 1383
Sacred Heart 5 6 .455 9 11 .450 1549 1548
Robert Morris 5 7 .417 10 10 .500 1488 1512
MD Baltimore Co. 3 8 .273 7 13 .350 1517 1653
Quinnipiac 3 9 .250 8 13 .381 1638 1671

AWARDS
Week 11, NEC Freshmen Of the Week - Dennis Lockwood (17.5 PPG, 3.0 APG, 3.0 RPG, 1.0 SPG, 50.0 FG%)

WEEK 12 - IP TOP 25 POLL
Rank School Record Points Previous
1. Arizona 21-2 1,965 1
2. Florida 20-2 1,837 2
3. Kansas 19-4 1,699 3
4. Iowa State 21-3 1,577 6
5. Stanford 20-3 1,452 7
6. Michigan State 19-4 1,376 5
7. Connecticut 17-3 1,305 4
8. Illinois 17-3 1,205 10
9. Kentucky 19-5 1,157 8
10. USC 19-3 1,080 12
11. Cincinnati 18-3 995 18
12. Texas Tech 20-4 949 15
13. Tennessee 16-5 901 9
14. Texas 15-5 831 11
15. Mississippi St. 17-3 761 20
16. Wake Forest 15-3 716 19
17. Georgetown 15-4 668 22
18. UCLA 17-6 555 14
19. Seton Hall 16-4 488 23
20. Duke 15-6 396 27
21. Virginia 15-4 330 17
22. Boston College 17-5 264 24
23. North Carolina 15-5 219 16
24. Oklahoma 15-5 197 25
25. Indiana 17-4 174 21

Others Receiving Votes: Vanderbilt 163, Iowa 152, Temple 129, Mississippi 107, Alabama 86, Maryland 64, Clemson 42, Louisville 21, Syracuse 10, Michigan 6, Ohio State 2, Georgia 2, Wisconsin 1, Memphis 1, UAB 1, New Mexico 1, Arkansas 1, Providence 1, Gonzaga 1, Missouri 1, Notre Dame 1.

[Recoil]

FEBRUARY/POSTSEASON 2003 REVIEW
2/5/2003 @Quinnipiac 14-17 85-88 L
2/8/2003 St. Francis (NY) 12-18 90-87 W
2/10/2003 Mount St. Marys 22-11 52-68 L
2/15/2003 @Monmouth 16-14 78-65 W
2/20/2003 @Mount St. Marys 22-11 68-76 L
2/22/2003 @St. Francis (NY) 12-18 67-85 L
2/27/2003 Robert Morris 19-14 70-71 L
3/2/2003 Quinnipiac 14-17 86-89 L
OVERALL: 14-17 (10-12)

NEC TOURNAMENT
(9) Fair Dickinson 82, (8) Sacred Heart 80
(7) Wagner 97, (10) St. Francis (NY) 79
(11) Quinnipiac 85, (6) Central Conn. 69
(5) Robert Morris 80, (12) MD Baltimore Co. 58

(1) Mount St. Marys 68, (9) Fair Dickinson 48
(7) Wagner 93, (2) St. Francis (PA) 73
(3) Long Island 75, (11) Quinnipiac 65
(5) Robert Morris 86, (4) Monmouth 79

(5) Robert Morris 67, (1) Mount St. Marys 66
(3) Long Island 84, (7) Wagner 68

(5) Robert Morris 82, (3) Long Island 77

NEC TEAMS IN POSTSEASON TOURNEYS

ACT - (5) Mount St. Marys 77, (4) Towson 57
ACT - (1) Arkansas 96, Mount St. Marys 56
NCT - (3) Kentucky 73, (14) Robert Morris 53

NCT FINAL FOUR
(1) Stanford 102, (4) North Carolina 79
(1) Illinois 74, (5) Oklahoma 63

(1) Illinois 77, (1) Stanford 63

[Recoil]

2002-2003 SEASON IN REVIEW
Well, the season went a little different than expected. I did anticipate a winning season, but no dice there. I did improve from the previous season going 14-17 compared to 4-25. The AD seemed to be overall impressed although slightly dissapointed we didn't put together a winning record. Oh well. The NEC was a rollercoaster ride. My predictions were pretty much completely off. I underestimated and overestimated a lot of teams. Rookie mistakes. Oh well. Beating Penn St. on their home court was probably the most obvious highlight of the year. Getting ejected from my first game and completely embarrased at Wagner on December 28 was easily the low point. We're going to be graduating 2 starters and 2 key reserves this year. We'll be returning 3 starters and with the new recruiting class coming in, we should be a decent team next year and I hope to be in the top 4 in the NEC.

THE SKINNY
Overall: 14-17
NEC: 10-12 (9th)
Final CRI: #178 (schedule #141)

AWARDS
NEC Freshman Of the Year - Dennis Lockwood (15.8 PPG, 2.6 APG, 2.8 RPG, 1.6 SPG)
NEC All-Freshman Team - Dennis Lockwood

LATER DAYS...
PG Bobby Baxter (10.5 PPG, 1.8 RPG, 6.6 SPG)
C Adam Guyton (9.3 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 0.8 APG)
SF Mark Tillman (6.7 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 1.6 APG)
C Kenny Watkins (3.6 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 0.4 APG)

NBA BOUND
None

CONTRACT OFFERS
Duquesne and St. Bonaventure we're the only 2 offers that I remotely looked at.

FINAL 2002-2003 STATS
Number First Name Last Name Pos Games MPG PPG RPG APG TOPG SPG BPG FG% 3P% FT%
20 Bobby Baxter PG 31 30.6 10.5 1.8 6.6 4.2 1.0 0.0 47.9% 37.3% 72.4%
9 Dennis Lockwood PG 25 30.8 15.5 2.7 2.5 2.9 1.6 0.1 50.4% 45.3% 72.4%
39 Terrell Lackey SG 15 30.3 10.3 4.6 1.7 1.5 0.9 0.0 42.8% 38.1% 56.8%
21 Adam Guyton C 31 27.9 9.3 4.9 0.8 1.1 0.4 0.8 56.6% 0.0% 80.6%
16 Jim Bills C 31 30.3 10.5 8.0 0.8 1.4 0.5 1.0 55.2% 35.7% 58.4%
45 Kenny Watkins C 31 13.1 3.6 2.5 0.4 0.5 0.1 0.1 67.6% 0.0% 60.6%
49 Al Gordon PF 16 16.3 5.9 3.1 0.6 0.8 0.3 0.3 50.0% 16.7% 79.3%
46 Mark Tillman SF 31 20.5 6.7 2.5 1.6 1.5 0.5 0.1 58.1% 0.0% 86.2%
34 Ahmad Crooks SF 27 16.5 5.3 1.1 1.6 1.2 0.0 0.1 62.4% 33.3% 87.8%
2 Blake Stapleton SG 31 12.5 3.2 1.0 1.6 1.3 0.3 0.0 44.8% 40.0% 55.6%
52 Scott Griffin PF 21 4.3 2.2 0.9 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.2 55.6% 20.0% 78.9%
8 Kolin Stone C 3 2.0 1.3 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 50.0% 0.0% 100.0%
41 Tory Laws SF 6 4.0 2.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.0 0.0 57.1% 40.0% 75.0%

[Recoil]

2003-2004 Fair Dickinson Knights
COACH: David Williams (2nd year, 14-17; age 40)

Knight Facts
PRESTIGE: Very Low (22) +2
SCOUTING SERVICE: Hoops Galore (*)
AVAILABLE SCHOLARSHIPS: 3

The Bergen Record

Coach Williams Says Rookie Mistakes For Better

(TEANECK, NJ) From 4-25 to 14-17, Fair Dickinson fans may have something to finally cheer about. Hope is abound around Teaneck, NJ about the upcoming 2003-2004 season. "It's exciting with a new coach and all," FDU student and fan Charles Wilson says. "Word around campus is that the freshmen will be a big impact this year."

"You try and shut out the hype and expectations," Coach David Williams said. "It's been 5 years since FDU has been to the NCT and I'm glad the fans are excited, but I don't want to set the bar very high this early."

When asked about his rookie coaching season, Williams swells with slight contentment and some regret. "Live and learn. The coaching mistakes I made last year are for the better. I'm a better coach now because of it."

The Knights open their season at home against Northern Illinois on November 18.

[Recoil]

Preview of 2003-2004 Fair Dickinson Season

OVERALL TALENT: Solid
FRESHMAN CLASS: Good
PROGRAM EXPECTATIONS: Avoid Embarassment
CHALLENGE LEVEL: Difficult

STARTERS
PG Nathan Willias, 6'0, Fr., Leland, MS (Leland HS)
D C A A A F F C C C C F B - 2.11

SG Dennis Lockwood, 5'10, Soph., Narraganett, RI (Narraganett HS)
A D B B B F D B F C A F B - 2.39
LAST YEAR STATS: 30.8 MPG, 15.5 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 2.5 APG

SF Shahar Autry, 6'8, Fr., Miramar, FL (Miramar HS)
A D B D F A D C C C F F C - 1.91

PF Al Gordon, 6'7, Sr., Salamanca, NY (Salamanca HS)
C B F F C D B B B C B C F - 3.40
LAST YEAR STATS: 16.3 MPG, 5.9 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 0.6 APG

C Jim Bills, 7'0, Sr., Rochester, NY (Our Lady of Mercy HS)
B A F B D C C D C A C B F - 3.09
LAST YEAR STATS: 30.3 MPG, 10.5 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 0.8 APG


KEY RESERVES
SG Terrell Lackey, 6'2, Sr., Southwick, MA (Southwick HS)
D C C B B C D C D A C F F
LAST YEAR STATS: 30.3 MPG, 10.3 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 1.7 APG

C Shawn King, 6'10, Jr., Medford, OR (Pueblo Colorado JC)
C C F A F C C C F C D C B

SG Blake Stapleton, 6'2, Jr., Belmont, NY (Genesse Central HS)
B D D D C C C C C D C D C
LAST YEAR STATS: 12.5 MPG, 3.2 PPG, 1.0 RPG, 1.6 APG

NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
11/18/2003 - Northern Illinois
11/22/2003 - @Utah State
11/25/2003 - @Oregon State
11/29/2003 - Central Michigan
12/1/2003 - @Southern Illinois
12/5/2003 - Morgan State
12/31/2003 - @Mercer
1/31/2004 - UMKC

PRESEASON IP TOP 25 POLL
Rank School Record Points Previous
1. Arizona 0-0 1,291 0
2. Kentucky 0-0 1,197 0
3. Duke 0-0 1,138 0
4. Florida 0-0 1,038 0
5. Kansas 0-0 951 0
6. North Carolina 0-0 900 0
7. Iowa State 0-0 853 0
8. Illinois 0-0 791 0
9. UCLA 0-0 756 0
10. Michigan State 0-0 709 0
11. Texas 0-0 661 0
12. Virginia 0-0 630 0
13. Boston College 0-0 599 0
14. USC 0-0 553 0
15. Mississippi 0-0 505 0
16. Connecticut 0-0 475 0
17. Maryland 0-0 445 0
18. Tennessee 0-0 368 0
19. Indiana 0-0 322 0
20. Texas Tech 0-0 261 0
21. Mississippi St. 0-0 217 0
22. Cincinnati 0-0 173 0
23. Stanford 0-0 144 0
24. Arkansas 0-0 129 0
25. Wake Forest 0-0 115 0

Others Receiving Votes: Seton Hall 107, Syracuse 100, Michigan 85, Iowa 71, Wisconsin 57, Ohio State 42, Notre Dame 28, Georgia 14, Oklahoma 10, Georgetown 8, Missouri 6, Alabama 4, Georgia Tech 4, California 3, Temple 3, Providence 2, Purdue 2, Vanderbilt 1, St. Johns 1, Villanova 1, Xavier 1.

[Recoil]

NOVEMBER 2002 REVIEW
11/18/2003 Northern Illinois 2-2 93-92 W
11/22/2003 @Utah State 2-1 64-72 L
11/25/2003 @Oregon State 1-3 83-79 W
11/29/2003 Central Michigan 2-2 85-84 W

We've squeaked by a few times with 1 point wins. A win is a win though and that's what counts. No doubt beating Oregon State on their home court was a early highlight of the year. They're a good team and it feels good to beat someone in a much bigger conference. We should've beat Utah State, but shit happens. Okay, now onto the bad news. First game of the year, BAM. Starting PG Willias goes down with a torn PCL. Gone 4 months. During the upset of Oregon St., BAM. Starting PF Al Gordon goes down with a fractured hip. Gone 1 month. Luckily, we have some good reserves in Lackey and Stapleton who'll fill in their positions respectively.

LEADIN' THE WAY
Points: Shahar Autry (17.3 PPG)
Rebounds: Shahar Autry (7.0 RPG)
Assists: Dennis Lockwood (4.8 APG)
Steals: Dennis Lockwood (2.0 SPG)

AWARDS
Week 2, NEC Freshmen Of the Week - Shahar Autry (14.5 PPG, 1.5 APG, 5.0 RPG, 1.5 SPG, 52.6 FG%)

SHIT, THAT HURTS
Nathan Willias - 3-4 Months (Torn PCL)
Al Gordon - 1 Month (Fractured Hip)

WEEK 4 - IP TOP 25 POLL
1. Arizona 7-0 3,002 1
2. Iowa State 7-0 2,805 2
3. Texas 6-1 2,510 3
4. Kentucky 6-1 2,325 4
5. Virginia 6-1 2,146 5
6. Boston College 5-1 1,833 9
7. USC 5-1 1,730 10
8. Seton Hall 5-1 1,584 14
9. Michigan State 4-0 1,511 6
10. Kansas 4-0 1,411 13
11. Maryland 4-0 1,320 17
12. Illinois 4-0 1,259 7
13. Indiana 4-0 1,195 8
14. North Carolina 4-1 1,104 24
15. Michigan 4-0 1,007 11
16. Wake Forest 4-0 947 19
17. Ohio State 4-0 884 16
18. Gonzaga 5-1 723 32
19. Alabama 4-0 635 28
20. Fresno State 5-1 518 21
21. Arkansas 4-1 429 35
22. Connecticut 4-1 342 30
23. Vanderbilt 4-0 280 33
24. Temple 4-0 250 27
25. Stanford 4-1 222 39

Others Receiving Votes: Cincinnati 208, Mississippi St. 192, Duke 165, Oklahoma 137, Louisville 109, Xavier 80, Utah 53, Mississippi 26, Tennessee 10, UCLA 5, Florida 5, Syracuse 4, Georgia Tech 4, Georgia 3, Creighton 3, Missouri 2, Western Michigan 2, Boston U. 1, Western Carolina 1, Purdue 1, Clemson 1.